CJHL alumni well represented in NHL opening week rosters

CJHL Media Update

Release Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026

CJHL alumni well represented in NHL opening week rosters

TORONTO – Earlier this week, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced its opening week player rosters and there you’ll see the Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL) well represented with a solid number of its alumni.

In all there are 58 CJHL alumnus listed across multiple NHL line-ups.

Of those NHL squads, 22 of them presently feature a CJHL alumnus in their lineups, including 18 with two, or more.

A trio of those teams, the New Jersey Devils; Ottawa Senators and Toronto Maple Leafs, all boast five CJHL alumni on their respective rosters.

Those with four include the Edmonton Oilers and Utah Mammoth.

You also have 29 former players who were members of franchises that are no longer part of the CJHL.

The following link lists the CJHL alumni, from current franchises, currently on NHL rosters as well as those who played for past franchises:

CJHL ALUMNI – NHL

Photo: Calgary Flames defenceman Zach Whitecloud played 117 CJHL games with the MJHL’s Virden Oil Capitals, collecting 50 points on the back-end with nine goals and 41 assists. As of Oct. 1, he is a veteran of 399 NHL contests. In 2023 Whitecloud was a member of the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights. Image courtesy Virden Oil Capitals / MJHL